83: Trail of Ice
The town stretched out ahead of them as they walked into it. The houses were lined up side by side similar to Ponyville and he walked further into it and began to look for anypony he could speak with. He knew it was now just past dawn as the sun rose higher in the brightening sky. Several ponies stopped and stared as the small group came upon them. One of them stayed frozen in place as the Unicorn bore down on him. Oblivion paused in front of him and decided that this pony would work to answer a couple of his questions and lead him to the mare that knew more.
“I was contracted to remove a monster made of ice that was seen near here. I was supposed to meet with a mare who had seen it.” He stared and the pony’s eyes widened as understanding dawned on him.
“Oh. You’re looking for Crystal. It’s pretty early for her to be out and about but I can lead you to her house.” He replied and spun to lead them when Oblivion nodded. “I didn’t think anypony would come to tangle with that thing. Crystal was with the group that saw it close up and she helped to send the note to the Princess.”
“Celestia has a contract with me to remove it,” Oblivion replied.
“Princess Celestia hired you?”
“Yes.”
“What makes her think you can get rid of it? I mean magic might not work on it.” He replied and glanced over his shoulder. “Magic isn’t a fix for everything.”
“I don’t plan on using magic. I have killed its kind before and I will do the same to this one.” Oblivion commented.
The pony looked over his shoulder, his face pulled up into an expression of confusion. “How?”
“They can be killed if you can beat them down or can weaken their connection to the magic that made them and then gave them their task.” Oblivion supplied.
“See? Magic.” He grumbled and led them forward.
“What's so bad about magic?” Vantage whispered to Silver.
“I haven’t seen any Unicorns here so maybe they just don’t deal with it much?” Silver whispered back.
“Still. Have a bit of respect for the one sent to help you.” Vantage sneered.
Sasa growled and nodded in reply to the Lunar Guard. Oblivion let the conversation going on behind him and kept his usual demeanor as they moved down another road. Their guide stopped in front of a house and knocked gently on the door. Oblivions ears flicked forward as he listened for any movement. He didn’t hear anything as the stallion knocked gently again. Oblivion sighed and gently moved him out of the way and picked up one hoof and beat his hoof loudly on the door several times. His ears caught a shout of surprise and the sound of a pony moving quickly toward them. The door was flung open to reveal a bleary eye angry mare.
“Who in Celestia’s name is…?” She stared at the tall black Unicorn and blinked several times as she leaned back on her haunches. “And you are?”
“I was sent to speak to you about the monster you saw. I have been contracted to remove it.” Oblivion supplied and the mare nodded in understanding.
“Got it. So they sent a Unicorn to fix the problem?” She said with a look at the black curved horn that rested on his forehead.
“Seriously?” Vantage whispered.
Sasa nudged him as the mare leaned out and saw the pair of them. A smile went over her face at the sight of the two guards in full armor. “Now it makes more sense. They’re going to do the fighting while you throw magic at it.”
“Not exactly.” Silver replied. “We are here to do as he tells us and so far we are not participating in his hunt.”
“Then how are you going to fight it?”
“I was a Witcher before I was a Unicorn.”
“Chosen!”
He looked at the feline as the others looked at him. “Meaning I was not able to use my magic before I was trained to fight monsters with sword and hoof.”
“Nice.” She said with a chuckle.
“So you are going to fight it hoof to hoof?” Crystal asked him, uncertainty in her eyes.
“Yes. Magic is not the only answer and I plan on using skill before I fall back on magic.” Oblivion replied.
“Oh.” She said and looked sheepish as she lowered her head slightly. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine. I am not easily offended or worried about what you think I can or cannot accomplish. What do you recall about it?” He answered.
“I’ll show you where we saw it.” She said as she reached to the side of the door, pulled on a thick coat and backed up to allow her to move out of her home. "Thanks for leading them to me Cutter. I’ll take over from here.”
The stallion nodded happily and trotted away from them. The mare was a creamy purple with a blonde mane and a formation of crystals as her cutie mark. Oblivion fell in next to her as she guided them to the edge of the town. She led them outside of it and into the snows that surrounded the village. She paused for several seconds and looked back and to the sides as she seemed to regain her bearings.
“Okay we were about here and it was over there.” She said and pointed away from them.
Silver took to the air and landed twenty feet away and she motioned for him to keep going and he moved back five feet and she motioned for more. At thirty-five feet she nodded and he stayed still as he sunk into the snow. His wings beat to keep himself from falling to deeply into the snow and she smiled as he hovered.
“It was about there. Thankfully it didn’t seem too worried about us and kept going that direction.” She said and pointed to the mountain behind Silver.
Oblivions horn lit as his sketchbook appeared and he scanned it for the picture of the Ice Elemental he had drawn. He found it and lowered it for her to look at.
“Yep. That’s pretty much exactly what it looked like. You’ve seen them enough to draw them?”
“I have fought many of them where I am from. There are many varieties but the ones in ice are more difficult to handle when you find them out in this element.” Oblivion replied as he sent his sketchbook to his saddlebags.
“Wow. Okay, I take back the comments about you needing them to help you.” She said and motioned for Silver to come back to them.
The Pegasus rejoined them and shivered in his armor for several seconds before Sasa leaned against him to warm him with her fur. The mare was quiet as the Witcher scanned the mountain as far as he was able to see and sighed quietly.
“We can go alone from here.” He said to her.
She looked surprised she spoke. “Are you out of your mind?”
“Pardon?”
“You’ll freeze before you can kill it.” She argued. “Well you have the magic to keep you warm, but they will freeze.” She amended and pointed to the two guards with him.
Oblivion looked over his shoulder to see the guards trying not to shiver and Sasa standing between them as they leaned against her for warmth. He cursed himself for forgetting that they were not mutated as he was to ignore cold.
“Okay. So come back to my house and I have a few extra coats they can borrow. I might have one you can wear. It might be a bit snug since you’re a bit broader shouldered than most ponies though.” She said as she motioned for them to follow her.
Oblivion spun on his heel and motioned for the others to follow her. They walked back to her house and she opened the front door and walked inside motioning for them to wait for her to come back.
“Sorry.” Silver muttered.
“For?” Oblivion said as he looked at the Royal Guard.
“You could be hunting it and instead we are waiting for a coat.” He began.
“It’s fine. Truth be told I had forgotten you were not equipped for cold.” Oblivion admitted. “I can ignore the cold easily enough but you cannot.”
“Ignore cold? Let me guess, magic.” She said as she came out of the house with several coats draped over her back. “I make and sell coats for my business so I have several you can use. So let’s try and fit each of you and see how they fit. You first.” She said as she pointed to Vantage.
“I am made to ignore the cold. Magic has nothing to do with it.” Oblivion replied as Vantage walked up to stand in front of her.
“If you say so. Okay, the armor needs to go unless you can make it fit over the coat.” She said and Vantage shook his head as he began to peel off the armor.
Vantage looked over his shoulder and Oblivion said nothing as the mare held out a coat to him for him to try on. He slid the coat over his body and cringed as it stretched his shoulders. She bade him give it back to her and he tried the next one she gave him. He slid into it easily and stood comfortably in front of her.
“Much better.” She chirped happily. “Okay, now you.” She said and Silver came up to her, having already slipped out of his armor.
“What about you Chosen?” Sasa asked him.
“Hmm?”
“Maybe you should wear a coat as well.”
“Why?”
“Accept the goodwill of these ponies and it will go a long way with them.”
“Excuse me?”
“They are leery of magic and you are very magical. Let her ‘help’ you and they will start to see you more as one of them instead of the strange Unicorn that has no expression.” She explained.
He closed his eyes to hide him rolling them. The black stallion opened his eyes as Silver gave a happy noise and nestled down into the coat he had been given. She smiled as he looked at her and then she looked back behind the orange Pegasus to the Black Unicorn. Oblivion bit back a deep sigh and instead walked up to her as Silver rejoined the Lunar guard. The mare looked at him and held up a coat and then shook her head and tossed it over her shoulder and into the house.
“Try this one.” She held up a deep blue coat and his magic took it from her grip.
She gave a slightly sour look at the azure flames of his aura as he took the coat and slid his limbs into the sleeves and stood in front of her as she waited for him to speak. He rolled his shoulders and stretched out his body to check if he was able to move easily or not. His wings would be useless under the thick coat but he was prepared to not use them anyway. He could tell that the coats were designed with some extra give in the limbs and girth so it was not too tight around him.
“How does it fit?” Crystal asked him.
“It fits well. Thank you.” He said to her and the others nodded in thanks.
“The only problem is that we can’t fly with them. But I’m not gonna look a gift pony in the face.” Silver said to her with a chuckle.
“I admit I wish you could wear your armor to keep that thing from hitting you but your kind of…what are you doing?” She began but then paused as the Unicorns horn lit up with his aura.
Oblivions horn lit as his magic picked up the set aside armor and it hovered over the two guards and they stood still as his magic worked over them. It covered them as well as the armor and the armor began to shift and move under his command. He glanced at Crystal and she was wide-eyed and staring. The armor disappeared and then reappeared on the guard's bodies and she gasped as it moved to sit in its usual place over the coats. The guards remained still as the magic slowly faded away and they both smiled as they moved to test the placement of the armor.
“How did…? Why…? That’s not going to damage those is it?” She sputtered.
“If it does I will repair the damage. I do not wish them to go out completely unprotected.” Oblivion replied.
“But you are unprotected?” She pointed out.
Oblivion looked at her with one eye before his armor slid over his body and settled over the coat. The bright silver metal glowed under the bright sun and she stared in reply to the sight. Silver chuckled at her expression.
“His armor is kept in that necklace he wears.” He informed her. “He’s never without it.”
“That’s…pretty handy I have to admit.” She replied and her eyes went over the silver armor as it vanished back into the medallion around his neck.
“Magic has its place. Sometimes it’s not needed and others it’s the only option. It depends on what you do when you find yourself in those situations.” Oblivion said to her as he turned to walk back the way they had come. “We will return these to you when the monster is dead.”
He heard her tell the guards to be careful and they told her not to worry about them. Sasa fell in at his side and she chuffed happily as they moved out of the town and into the snows. He slowed his pace to ensure that the two guards kept up with him. He knew that their wings were held under the coat and armor so they were now ground-bound. Sasa fell back a step as they began to trudge through the snow. Oblivion spread his claws to keep snow from getting in between them and they kept him from sinking too deeply.
“This sucks.” Silver groused.
Vantage panted at his side and nodded. “Really? Tell us how you feel Silver.”
Sasa’s laugh echoed through his mind as she listened to them. Oblivion looked over his shoulder as the two guards struggled. He could tell that they were tiring and he paused as his eyes searched for any sign of their quarry. So far he had not seen any tracks in the deep snow and he was growing annoyed that they were on the wrong track. He called on the World Spirit once more and its power rushed up to meet him. He focused on it and issued a command for it to search for life signs, similar to what he had asked of it when searching for the Changeling. While this was different he was sure it was possible.
“Chosen?”
“A moment.” He said aloud and the two guards came to stand just behind him as a small wind ruffled their manes and tails.
He closed his eyes as he sent the World Spirit away from him and across the snows. His eyes opened a minute later and he altered their course slightly as he was able to get a ping on something ahead of them. The World Spirit receded went dormant as he moved forward. Sasa purred loudly as she stayed at his side.
“Anything?” Silver asked.
“I think I know where it is.” He called back.
“Thank Equestria.” He admitted and fell in behind them. “Can I ask you a magic question?”
The Elder Witcher looked over his shoulder to the Royal Guard. “Go ahead.”
“Is it possible, for you to enchant something that would allow us to walk on top of the snow?”
Sasa stopped in her tracks with the black Unicorn. Vantage broke out into laughter as Oblivion looked back at them and his horn lit with his azure flame. “I’m not sure.” He admitted.
Silver looked at the sky for a moment and Oblivion could see him mouthing a silent prayer. Oblivion levitated all of them above the snow and he focused on keeping their hooves from sinking. He lowered Sasa back to the snow and she began to sink into the snow. He growled and brought her back up and after weaving a different spell he lowered her once more. Her paws stayed above the snow line and he let her drop a few inches to the snow, testing to see if she would sink or not. Silver smiled as the cat stayed on top of the snow and they were all lowered to the snow several seconds later. Each of their hooves stayed on top of the snow.
“Yes. I love magic.” Silver crowed.
Vantage laughed with him and nodded. “I wish I had thought of it sooner.”
“As do I,” Oblivion commented as he led the way once more. “You might slip if you’re going to fast so be aware.”
“Got it. I’d rather slip on top of the ice then trudge through it.” Silver commented.
“He was breaking the path for us.” Vantage pointed out. “So it wasn’t that bad.”
“I know but still. It had to be tiring for you, Sir.”
“It wasn’t that bad,” Oblivion said back to him.
“Do you know where this thing is? I haven’t seen any tracks or anything.” Silver began as Oblivion stopped and looked back over his shoulder as a trail appeared. “Never mind.”
“Very nice.” Sasa praised. “Remind me to give my praises to the World Spirit once more.”
Oblivion raised his head higher as he came to a stop and reared up as the sound of snow shifting caught his attention. The stallions with him paused and Sasa stayed silent and unmoving as he searched, his ears flicked intently. He lowered his hooves back to the snow and broke into a gallop as he let his ears lead him forward. He heard Silver and Vantage shout as they tried to keep up with him. Sasa stayed at his hip as he moved and he came to the top of a slight hill to see the Elemental trudging through the snow under him. He had followed its tracks until they had vanished and now he could see them clearly in the land behind the monster. Silver and Vantage joined him and they both dropped to their bellies to avoid being spotted even as Oblivion did not.
“Geez. It’s bigger than I thought it would be.” Silver admitted, his voice quiet.
“It’s of average size,” Oblivion replied quietly.
“Says the tall Unicorn.” Silver grumbled.
Sasa chuckled and nuzzled the Pegasus as she looked down at the Elemental. “Now what Chosen?”
Oblivion did not immediately reply as he watched it closely. He could not see any reason for it to be simply wandering into the snows. From what he knew Elementals were bound by whatever command they were given upon their creation. If it had been told to kill then it would have killed everything in its path with stopping. The fact that it only killed one pony before vanishing made him pause and watch it carefully. If it had been told to kill then it would have attacked the group of ponies that spotted it. He cursed himself for not asking if Crystal knew if it had seen them or not.
“Damn.” He whispered and his magic picked up the snow around him and balled it into a tight snowball.
“You’re not gonna throw that at it are you?” Vantage asked him, his voice nervous and quiet.
Oblivion said nothing in reply as he hurled the snowball at the Elemental from his place above it. The ball of snow collided with the elementals back and exploded in a burst of snow and ice. Oblivion waited for it to turn to look but it continued to move forward. He saw the others duck down and peer carefully over the ridge of the hill as the Unicorn waited.
“Didn’t work?” Sasa asked him, her voice uncertain.
“More like it has no idea that we are here.” He replied carefully.
“Meaning we could lob a rock at it and it wouldn’t react?” Silver replied.
“Possibly,” Oblivion said back to him.
“Let’s not test that okay?” Vantage said, his tone cautious.
Oblivion jumped forward and allowed his body to slide down the snowbank and he jumped once more to the ground. The snow was disturbed by the Elementals passing and the stallion was careful for if it did react to his presence. When it did nothing and still moved forward Oblivion walked to within ten feet of its back and his magic lashed out and struck it in the back. Ice fell from its hide as it still ignored him. Oblivion paused and waited for anything to happen and when nothing did, he teleported to land in front of it. He could hear Silver and Vantage gasp and shout for him to be careful as Sasa slid down the snowbank to join him.
“Chosen?” She called out as she came to stand behind it.
“It’s not reacting.” He informed her.
“Okay. Now what?”
“Why did it kill one pony before and now it’s…docile?” He questioned aloud, fully expecting no reply.
Silver and Vantage slid down the bank and joined Sasa and waited for him to issue their orders as the Elemental kept moving forward. Oblivion watched as it neared him and he waited for it to react the closer it came to him. It was about five feet away from him before it seemed to see him and it swung one arm at the stallion. Oblivion backflipped away from it as his magic summoned his sword into his magic. He landed ready to fight it and put it down when he looked up to find that it was docilely moving forward once more.
“What in the God's name?” He cursed quietly as he moved to the side to allow it to trudge past him.
“Any ideas?” Sasa asked him as they joined him off to the side of the path.
“Sir?” Vantage asked as the stallions joined him.
“I’m not sure,” Oblivion admitted. “Usually they are tasked with killing what their creators put in front of them. This one seems to have no direction.”
“So where’s the creator?” Silver asked.
“Back in the Northern Realms.” He replied.
“What?” Silver questioned.
“It is one of the monsters that Winter summoned and let loose,” Oblivion explained and Silver nodded as he recalled. “It seems this one was not given any directive to kill beyond anything getting in its way.”
“So it swung at you because you were blocking the path?” Sasa asked.
“Exactly. I was in the way. I think the pony that was killed by it was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Oblivion commented.
“Great. Now, what do we do with it?” Silver asked as he looked at the Elementals retreating.
Oblivion broke away from them and once more trotted after it. He sent his sword back into the band on his leg as his eyes scanned over the Elementals body. He drew up next to it and waited to see how it would react. When nothing happened he moved to trot ahead of it and see if there was a purpose behind its forward motion. He reached out with the World Spirit and scanned the area ahead and found nothing that would draw the Elemental's attention.
“Can we trap it?” Sasa asked him as he pulled the World Spirit back and let it recede.
“We might have to. The issue will be keeping it trapped. They can break out of anything so long as they can swing their arms.” He replied to her as he stayed out ahead of it, avoiding being directly in front of it.
The she-cat joined him and the two guards flanked the Elemental as it moved. “What do we do now?” Silver called out.
“I’ll look ahead of us and see what is in front. If we can trap it then we will have no other choice.” Oblivion called back.
“Can’t you just kill it?” Vantage yelled.
Oblivion knew that he would have no issue killing the monster. He hesitated since there was no threat to himself or anypony. He knew that it had killed one pony already but it so far had been harmless. The Unicorn was quiet as he went over their options.
“We need to trap it somehow.” He muttered.
“I’ll look ahead to see if there is a cave or anything ahead that we can use. You stay with it and make sure the others are safe in case it changes its mind about being harmless.” Sasa said to him as she broke into a lope and left them behind.
Oblivion kept as close as he dared and the others remained just close enough to help if the need came.
“What's she doing?” Silver yelled.
Oblivion looked back at him and walked to the side of the path and let the Elemental walk past him, giving it a wide berth. “She is looking for a cave or something that we can use to trap it.”
“And you don’t just kill it?” Vantage asked.
Oblivion gave a short sigh and shook his head. “I don’t like killing something that is no threat. There is no immediate threat to anypony out here in the middle of nowhere.” He explained.
“But it killed before.” Vantage pointed out.
“That’s true. But we have proven that it only fights when something is in the direct path. Otherwise, it leaves us alone.”
Oblivion kept silent as they followed behind the Elemental. He could sense Sasa far ahead of them and he waited for her to send word back to him. His magic hummed under his skin and his body was ready to act should the need arise.
“Chosen?”
Oblivion paused as the she cat’s voice rang out. Silver and Vantage paused and waited as he began to move forward again. “Yes Sasa?”
“I think I found a cave that will suit our needs. It’s not directly ahead of the monster but it’s not far off.” She relayed to him.
“It will do. Come back to us and you can direct us toward it. In the meantime, we need to find a way to get it to follow us.” He replied.
“I’m on my way.” She replied and he could sense that she was in motion.
“Sasa found a cave that we can use to trap it.” He replayed to the others.
“Will that work?” Silver asked.
“For now. We will need to find a way to either keep it there or incapacitate it there.”
“How do we do that?” Vantage asked, his voice uncertain.
“I am not certain. But it is better than leaving it to its path.” Oblivion commented.
“That’s true.” He replied.
They fell silent as the Elemental trudged ahead. Sasa rejoined them and began to lead them subtly to the side. The Elemental seemed to be following the path ahead of it and Oblivion watched to see if there was a way to influence its path. He loped to get ahead of it and looked to see if he could shift the path it was following. His magic reached out and he began to lay a path ahead of them, ice and snow moving out of the way. Silver and Vantage remained behind the monster as Sasa joined him and helped him to lead the monster toward the cave she had found.
“It’s following the cleared path?” She asked and he nodded in response. “That makes things simple.”
He nodded as his magic acted like a snow shovel and he began to lead the way. Sasa stayed slightly ahead of him and she altered the course as needed and led him to the cave. He looked back and he could see the cave she had found looming up behind them. It was a snow cave that had an opening close to thirty feet high with a twenty-foot width.
“Wow.” Silver called out. “Nice find Sasa.”
The feline purred loudly as they came to walk on the sides of the Elemental. They were close to five feet away from it just in case it chose to swing at them.
“How deep is it?” He asked her and she paused for a second as she thought.
“About fifteen feet in there is a wall. It’s not very deep. But it was the best of them.” She admitted.
Oblivion said nothing in reply and simply nodded that he had understood her. The Elemental did not stray from the path that had been made for it as they neared the cave and Oblivion made sure the path led directly into the cave. He got out of the way as the path ended at the entrance and the elemental walked docile into the cave. They watched as the Elemental walked in and stopped at the back of the cave. Oblivion watched closely as it suddenly reared back, its back arching as a roar tore from it.
“Oh no.” Silver said and shrunk back as the monster began to tear at the back of the cave. “What if it caves-in, will that kill it?”
“No,” Oblivion replied, his voice ice.
“Now what?” Sasa asked as he searched his memories for an option. “It’s only a matter of time before it gets through that. Either the cave falls in or…Chosen?”
“Yes?”
“I have an idea.” She replied and turned to face him.
“I’m all ears.” He replied, his voice bland.
“Your magic can do many things with the World Spirits backing. The Elemental may not be connected to the World Spirit but it can be used.”
“Get to the point.”
“Use the World Spirit to enforce your will on it. Coupled with your magic and its reach you should be able to command it.”
He turned to look at her as his mind went over what she had said to him. He went over what he knew of his magic and what the World Spirit had been able to accomplish before. He wanted to argue that it was not designed to mind control anypony but when he came to that thought he was reminded that he was not looking at a pony or any sentient creature. While the Elemental had some form of intelligence it was not created to think for itself. The Elemental roared and attacked the back of the cave. He could see that it had carved out a large depression in the back of the stone cave. The stone and ice gave way under its strength and brute force.
“Any ideas?” Silver asked as he backed up a step.
“Just one,” Oblivion admitted and his horn lit as his magic covered the monster's body.
He summoned the World Spirit and white fire began to mix with the azure flame of his aura. The Elemental stopped its assault on the back of the cave and was still for several seconds as Oblivion began to push against it with his magic and his commands. It turned and faced them and Silver yelped as he and Vantage jumped to stand at Oblivions hips. Sasa roared in challenge as the Elemental roared back at her.
Oblivion commanded the World Spirit to create a channel that he could use to issue his commands to the Elemental. He thought over what the magic that created it was and he realized that if he used the channels that were already built into it then he might be able to use them easier than making his own.
“Captain!” Vantage cried out as the Elemental took a step toward them.
Sasa growled and her back arched as she readied herself to fight. Oblivions magic hummed as he poured magic into the Elementals body, searching for the magic that created it, to begin with. It took another step as Silver yelled and Oblivion could sense the fear that came from both of the guards. He sent more of his magic into the monster and his eyes widened slightly as he found what he was looking for. The Elemental began to walk toward them slowly and Silver pressed himself against Oblivions hip.
“Stop.” Oblivion spoke, his voice commanding.
Silver and Vantage froze as Oblivion's voice rolled over them. They both heard Sasa give a happy chirp and they looked up to see that the Elemental had frozen in place at the Unicorns command. They stared for several seconds as the magic that covered the Unicorn's horn and the Elemental faded out. Sasa sat down and purred as the monster was still as the stone it stood upon.
“What just happened?” Vantage finally croaked out.
“Sasa had the idea to use magic to try to command it. By using enough magic I was able to enforce my will upon it by using the magic that created it originally. Now it will answer to me.” He replied.
“So you’re now its master?” Silver asked and Oblivion nodded. “That’s quite the feat.”
Vantage and walked slowly forward and reached out a hoof to tap the icy arm of the Elemental. Nothing happened as he backed up and breathed out a deep sigh of relief. “I have to admit I’m getting more and more jealous of Unicorns as we go.”
“Tell him not to use you as a base for all Unicorns.” Sasa chuckled. “You’re not the same as the others.”
“I’m not one you should base the strength of Unicorns on,” Oblivion informed him. “My abilities are different than most.”
“That’s true but still.” Vantage replied.
Silver chuckled as he walked forward and tapped the Elemental carefully. “Wow. It’s, even more, intimidating up close. What are you going to do with it now?”
“I’m not sure.” He admitted. “I could leave it here and issue the command to remain still for eternity.”
“Or you could use it.” Sasa said to him and he looked at her. “Let’s take it home with us.”
“What in the God's name makes you think that’s a good idea?” He asked, his tone incredulous.
“Hear me out.” She went on. “Imagine how helpful it would be for the harvests? We have time to get back in time to help with the Zap Apples and imagine how much it could haul for us.”
He looked blankly at the feline for several seconds before he looked back at the monster in front of them. “I’m not sure I can teleport it.” He admitted.
“Probably not. Well maybe.” She replied and her head tilted in thought. “Worth a shot. Try teleporting all of us back to the camp?”
He looked back at her and a small sigh pulled from him and his horn lit and covered all of them in his magic. He could feel the magic pulling against him as he gathered the magic to teleport the Elemental. They vanished in a flash of azure flame and they dropped to the ground at the camp a moment later. Sasa yowled as they hit the ground from a foot up. Silver shouted as he fell and Vantage managed to keep himself on his hooves as Oblivion cursed as he landed. The Elemental was still as it hit the ground and the ground shook under the impact.
Silver got to his hooves and Sasa nuzzled him to ensure he was unhurt. The feline looked at the Witcher as a short pant of exertion pulled from him.
“You okay?” Vantage asked.
“I will be fine.” He assured the Thestral. “I don’t know if I can teleport it long distance.” He admitted.
“How are we going to get it back to Canterlot?” Silver asked.
Oblivion looked at it and breathed out a sigh as he sat down and closed his eyes for several seconds. The sun was beginning to set behind the mountain as he contemplated what to do with the monster he now commanded. His orange eyes opened as he looked at each of them and shook his head.
“I’m not sure how we are going to get it back.” He informed them.
“What are you going to do with it?” Vantage asked.
“I will keep it. So long as it has somepony to command it, it is harmless and will only do as it is commanded. Now that I am have taken over as the one that controls it I am not concerned about it attacking ponies randomly.” He replied.
“Okay. So what will it be doing?” Vantage questioned.
“It will work on the farm doing tasks that it is given,” Oblivion told him.
“Oh, that would work. Can’t hurt anypony so long as you’re close by.” Silver said.
Oblivion opened his mouth to speak as a flash of azure flame went out and a letter dropped into his hoof. His magic unfurled the scroll and within it was a letter from Apple Bloom. He read through it and he tilted his head slightly as she begged him to come back in time for Family Appreciation Day the next day. He righted his head and looked at Sasa as she put her paws on his shoulder to read it as well.
“What the?” She questioned and he shrugged. “She sounds terrified.”
“You noticed that as well.” He replied. “Not sure what the problem is but I suppose I will have to explain to her that I cannot be back in time, especially now.” He thought to her as he looked at the Elemental.
“Why is she so upset?” The feline questioned.
“I’ll ask her.” He said as his magic summoned a quill and he wrote a reply to her and sent it with a flash of his magic.
He said nothing as the reply didn’t come and he was soon looking over his shoulder to the village and contemplating trying to get the coats back to the mare now or in the morning. He got to his hooves and looked at the guards as they sat tiredly close by the tent. Sasa seemed to know what he was thinking and she shook her head stoically at him and he nodded in understanding.
“We will go into the town in the morning and return the coats to Crystal.”
“I was going to ask about that.” Silver admitted. “But I figured you were the one leading this mission so I would defer to whatever you chose.”
“Both of you are tired from the snow so I think it would be better to allow you to rest and recover before we try to trudge home.” He replied.
“How are you going to get that thing out of here?” Sasa asked.
“I am not sure.” He replied. “I may have no choice but to try to teleport it and the supplies we have.”
“Your good but I’m not sure you’re that good.” She admitted as Silver and Vantage set up the wood for a fire and the Unicorn set them ablaze. “That’s a lot of weight that you would be needing to move. You have the magic to do it but the spell itself is not designed for that kind of weight.”
“It’s a lightweight spell.” He replied. “Will have to try it anyway.”
“It might exhaust you to attempt and slow us from going home tomorrow.”
“Even if we are delayed we will still make it in time for Zap Apple harvest as we said we would.” He assured her.
“That’s true.” She agreed.
He moved to sit at the edge of the fire and he could see the Elemental standing still off to the side, where it had been dropped. “Quite the trip.” He whispered and Sasa chuckled in his mind.
Oblivion knocked on the door and Crystal promptly opened the door and a sigh of relief sounded out from her. “I honestly thought it had killed all of you and that was why you didn’t come back last night.”
“We did come back but we went to camp and slept it off and then came to return these to you.” Silver explained.
Oblivions magic levitated the coats and she took them back from him. She looked over them and she smiled. “They look even better than when I gave them to you.”
Oblivion didn’t tell her that he had put magic over them to freshen them before they came back into town. Silver seemed to decide the same thing as he shrugged and smiled at the mare. Sasa gave a chuffing sound at his side and rubbed her head on his shoulder. Crystal backed up and set them back inside her home and then came back to the door and looked at the tall Unicorn for several seconds before she sighed.
“I owe you an apology.” She said to him and he waited as she went on. “I judged you based on the fact that you can use magic. You kept your word and got rid of the monster so it can’t come back to get us. That means you went out there to fight it and protect us all. So, thank you.”
He said nothing for a second as he gave a slight bow of his head. “Your welcome.”
She smiled and the Unicorn turned to leave with the others on his heels. They trotted through town and kept up the pace as they got back to camp and the waiting Elemental. Silver stared at it and then looked at Oblivion.
“I have to be honest I wasn’t sure the command thing would work if you weren’t close to it.”
“The command stands so long as it lives.” He replied.
“Nice.” Vantage said with a chuckle.
They had spent the first part of the morning packing up camp and pulling the chariot close to allow Oblivion to teleport it easier. His magic reached out and covered everything around him that was theirs and the Elemental was still as he began to call on his magic to power the spell and hope it worked. He had read about teleportation’s failing and causing a backlash against their caster but he simply hoped he could overpower it and make up for the weight issue. He could feel the spell as it went off and he closed his eyes as a flash of Azure flame went out, signaling their departure.
Oblivion opened his eyes as the magic of his teleport faded. He looked around them to find that they had made it intact to the menagerie, his usual spot to land. He looked at the others and found all of them had made the trip as well and so had their newest acquisition, the Ice Elemental. He sighed as Sasa bumped his shoulder and to his surprise staggered him. She yowled in alarm as he nearly toppled over. He spread his claws and they latched onto the stone and grass under them, keeping him from falling.
“Chosen?!”
“I’m okay.” He said aloud as the two guards had started to come toward him and they paused as he spoke. “That took no small amount of effort.” He admitted.
“You okay?”
“I’ll be fine. Teleportation is not designed for that kind of weight.” He informed them and pointed his horn at the Elemental for several seconds.
“How did you get it to work? That thing weighs tons.” Silver asked.
“I overpowered the spell to make up for the weight.”
“Oh. What would have happened if that didn’t work?” Vantage asked carefully.
“It would have dropped us off in the middle and backlashed or it would not have worked at all.” Oblivion supplied.
“Perfect. So magic has its fair share of drawbacks.” Vantage admitted as he looked nervously at the Unicorn. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Nothing resting won’t cure. I will see how it is later and then we will find out if I can make the teleport to Ponyville or not.” Oblivion informed him.
The guards nodded and moved to take the chariot away. Oblivion summoned his saddlebags to his back and moved to walk into the castle. He looked over his shoulder to the Elemental and a quirk of a smile edged up the side of his mouth. Sasa looked from him to the Elemental and then back to him as a wide toothy smile crossed her mouth.
“Follow.” He commanded and the Elemental perked up and walked to follow the stallion.
Its steps were deafening as it went up the stairs and stayed a few feet behind the black stallion. The guards shuddered as it went past them and into the castle. His magic pushed open the throne room doors as they reached them and Sasa slipped in ahead of him to make sure no ponies would get stepped on. The guards at the doors stayed back as the nine-foot-tall Elemental walked in on Oblivions heels.
“What the hell is that?” One whispered to his fellow.
“I don’t know. But I’m gonna stay away from it.” The other replied and they went quiet.
Oblivion looked to the end of the carpet and he could see Celestia staring at the creature that followed the Elder Witcher. He came to the bottom of her throne and stopped and the Elemental came to a stop two feet behind his flank.
“Oblivion…What is that?” She asked him.
“This is the Ice Elemental.” He said and looked over his scheduler.
“You brought it back here?”
“It’s harmless.” He assured her as he turned to look at her.
“Why didn’t you kill it?” She questioned.
“There was no reason. It did not attack us when we were near it. The only time it attacked is when I was directly in front of it and blocked its path. Otherwise, it ignored us.”
Celestia looked uncertain as she got up from her throne and came down to look closer at it. She reached out a hoof and set it against the chilled ice of the Elementals body. She pushed against it and it didn’t move under her hoof. She looked at him and he nodded to her.
“Follow.” He commanded and side passed to the left. The Elemental moved with him and stayed as close as it could without stepping on him.
She watched carefully, wonder in her eyes as it followed the Witcher. Oblivion broke into a trot and it moved faster to stay with him. The floor trembled under the weight of the monster and he slowed to keep it from cracking the flooring. He returned to standing next to her and it went still in place.
“Wow.” She said to him and a smile tugged at her mouth. “Well. Least it’s not a head.” She chuckled.
“Not this time.”
“How did you get it back here?”
“I teleported it.” He admitted and her head spun to look at him.
“You teleported it…and the guards, and everything that went with you?”
“Yes. Though it required a large amount of magic to balance out the weight.”
“I was going to ask about that.” She admitted. “Teleportation is limited in its abilities. I am impressed.”
“Glad to see you are pleased.” He replied.
“Am I allowed to give you a tip?” She asked as she went back to her throne.
“A what?” He asked in reply.
“A tip. It’s a bonus on top of your fee.” She explained.
“Oh. If you wish to.” He replied.
“I will have the fee sent to your account along with a well-earned bonus for the speed that you removed them all. Thank you again for all that you have done Witcher.”
Oblivion gave a bow of his head and turned to leave but he paused as Celestia opened her mouth to speak further.
“Will you be resting for a time before attempting to teleport home with…that?”
“Yes, I think I will.” He admitted. “The last thing I need is to collapse when I get it back to Ponyville.”
“If you wish you can leave it in here behind the throne and then recover it when you wish to leave.” She offered.
Oblivion nodded and walked around to set the elemental in place behind the throne. “Stay.” He commanded and the monster settled into place and he moved away from it and the Alicorn mare smiled as he came back around and looked at her.
“Careful no pony messes with it. I have it commanded to remain here but if tampered with it will move.” He advised.
She nodded in understanding and he moved to leave her behind. “Get some rest Oblivion.”
“Thank you, Celestia.” He replied and moved to leave her throne room.
Oblivions eyes opened as he breathed in and sat up from his bed in the Royal Wing of the castle. At his back, Sasa slept quietly and he ran his claws down his face before his magic tossed the blanket back off of his body. He shook his head and blinked several times to clear his vision. He looked over his shoulder to see Sasa yawning behind him.
“Rest well Chosen?” She asked.
“Yes.” He replied and pushed himself to his hooves. “I don’t think there will be any issue teleporting the Ice Elemental now.”
“That’s good to hear. It will be easier since the distance is less than what you had done before.” She replied.
He stretched and rolled his shoulders before he moved to the doors and pushed them open to leave. He moved down the hall and pressed his horn against the door to open it and leave the Wing. The black Unicorn was quiet as Sasa fell in at his hip and he made his way toward the Throne Room to retrieve the Ice Elemental and head back to Ponyville. They reached the throne room and he pushed open the doors and walked into the room. He paused for a second at the sight of several ponies in the room. Sasa made a chuffing sound next to him as he began to walk forward and walk past all of the ponies assembled.
“Good afternoon Witcher.” Celestia greeted him.
He gave a slight bow of his head to her and headed for the rear of her throne. The Ice Elemental stood still in the same place he had left it. He could hear ponies whispering about the black stallion that had not replied to the Princess and other topics as he stepped a foot back from the Elemental.
“Follow.” He commanded and the Elemental responded by straightening its back to follow him.
He walked out from behind the throne and headed for the doors with the monster on his heels. Ponies yelled as they saw it and they reeled back to stay away from it. He glanced at the Alicorn and she was hiding a smile behind her hoof as they reeled back.
“Peace my ponies. The Witcher has complete control of the creature behind him. You are in no danger from it, I assure you.” She said to them and they looked at her, their eyes wide.
The Elder Witcher said nothing to them nor did he speak to help their fears as he led the monster out the doors and toward the menagerie. His magic hummed under his skin as he began to think over how much he needed to pour into the spell to make it back to Sweet Apple Acres.
“Ready to go home in time for Zap Apple Harvest?” Sasa questioned.
“I suppose.” He replied.
“You sound thrilled.” She teased.
“I suppose it’s a good thing we will be there to help.”
“But…”
“But this signals the end of the contract and it’s always different to see the end of a long contract.”
“Plus it means your back to be a farmer, instead of a contracted Witcher.” She replied. “It’s not that you are a poor farmer Chosen but its clear what you are best suited for.”
He gave a light sigh and led them out of the castle. His horn began to charge as they went still outside of the castle. His magic covered both Sasa and the Elemental as he charged his horn and poured magic into the spell. He closed his eyes as he cast the teleportation spell and they vanished in a flash of azure flame.
He opened his eyes a moment later to see the barn in front of them. He had chosen not to appear in front of the farmhouse in case ponies were in front. He sighed as the strain faded and he looked at Sasa who purred at his side. He opened his mouth to speak to her when the laughter of a familiar filly caught his ears. He looked over as Diamond Tiara laughed as Apple Bloom who was in her rabbit costume. His eyes narrowed and he looked at the Ice Elemental.
“Do it.” Sasa encouraged.
Oblivion walked forward with the monster on his heels. He angled his body to have the elemental stand directly behind the filly. A chill of ice came off of its body and Diamond Tiara stopped her laughter as the chill went over her flanks. Apple Bloom's eyes were wide as she stared behind the other filly. Oblivion stood to the side as the filly turned her head slowly to look behind her. Her eyes went wide as she looked up at the Elemental.
“Ahh!” A scream pulled from her as she backpedaled to get away from the monster.
Her father and the others whirled to stare as Diamond Tiara beat a hasty retreat from the monster's presence. Oblivion stood close by as Sasa fell to her side and laughed at the filly’s terror. The black Unicorn said nothing as Apple Bloom backed up a step and she looked from it to him and then back again.
“It is harmless Apple Bloom.” He assured her and she looked blankly at him for several seconds before she walked up to the monster and tapped her hoof against it.
“Are ya sure?” She questioned.
“I swear it.” He replied. “It responds to my commands and will not act beyond what is commanded.”
“Ya brought back a monster?” Applejack asked him.
“I did. It was harmless when we found it and I chose not to kill it at the time. I chose to bring it back and it can do as it is commanded on the farm. When not in use I will store it within the barn for safekeeping.” He replied as the orange mare approached it.
He looked back as Diamond Tiara hid behind her astounded father. Filthy Rich was silent as Granny Smith laughed. “That’s one way ta do things.” She laughed. “Ya brought back a helper.”
“I did. I said I would be back in time to help and I brought this to aid us further.” He replied to her.
“With that, we can harvest twice as much as normal.” Applejack marveled as she prodded the monster with one hoof.
Sasa pulled herself off the ground and rejoined them as she nuzzled Apple Bloom.
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well... he didn't even have to blunt his swords... elementals as farming equipment... not a bad idea
10318874
It works. Thinking outside the box.
medallion humming
I mean, it’s preferable to destroying it. It might not be alive in the strictest sense of the word, but it has a purpose and it really likes performing its purpose.
If it’s purpose happens to be removing small red squishy things from trees then so be it.
hmmm maybe it'll grow some sorta sentience from the world spirit or magic while working on the farm and becoming the apple's families guardian golem.
Hmmm.. cant remember if flim flam have made their appearance yet.... i dont recall but were 80+ chapters in so without rereading its tough to remember.But it'd be interesting to see what their new reactions will be when a 9ft tall golem appears and growls at them. I could see oblivion making a good deal with them instead of the crap they tried to pull with the apples. Like renting out the vehicle. They could make tons of bits if they were smart. The apples are a wide spread family never mind the oranges and pears who they also have relations with. A good word from granny then they rent or sell the vehicles bamn instant john deer buisness.
10319760
Flim Flam have not appeared yet. They are on the horizon.
:D
The beginning seems... rough, unpolished the interactions are stiff Might want to have an editor help you with that.
10320523
Otherwise I would have sent it off for help first before publishing. I have help with it most of the time and I bounce ideas off another person who is of immense help. Bit, for now, I'm stuck hoping I get it right lol.
I have looked for an editor but since I cannot pay for one it tends to get ignored.
Thats a big f
You know, I think he kinda has it backwards... The troll was something that could be reasoned with, this thing cannot be reasoned with. If there was ever a clear case of needing to remove a threat, this would be it: it could be discovered by someone, or could release itself... or get released by a freak incident. Besides, it's a magic construct - it doesn't have feelings, it's technically not even alive... I see no reason to hesitate to eliminate the potential threat.
The troll could've been a diminished threat (in the right circumstances, it would've been minimal to nonexistent) - the problem would've been initial containment. This thing though? Containing it will probably be a cinch, but the danger it poses to everyone will never diminish - it cannot be reasoned with, it cannot be controlled, it cannot be told to stand down.
Back in the Northern Realms, abandoned elementals are a fairly known problem that claim the lives of foolish adventurers every year. As long as it's not expending too much magic doing something*, an elemental can stick around practically indefinitely. There's no guarantee that they'll know about it being freed/getting loose, either - not until it kills again, at any rate.
The obvious conclusion is that it needs to go.
* or if it has a handy source of energy and has been instructed to recharge when required - as would be the case with guardians
... ooooooor, you have him do what he did. I suppose that works too. Just make sure his command can't be overpowered, or you'll have a very efficient and nearly indestructible killing machine to deal with... at least by pony standards.